Setting and Tracking Goals: A Learning Entrepreneur’s Approach

Setting and Tracking Goals: A Learning Entrepreneur’s Approach

Good afternoon, everyone! Can you believe today is (finally) the last day of January? I, for one, have felt every single day of these thirty-one days. With the first month of the year coming to a close, I thought it would be the perfect time to share how I set and track goals as a learning entrepreneur.

Setting Goals

I’ll be honest—I didn’t start 2024 with a clear set of goals. My main focus was on improving my marketing efforts and finding ways to reach more people. However, as December approached, I realized that without concrete goals, I wouldn’t have a clear way to track my business’s growth. Being an entrepreneur means wearing many hats, including that of a business manager. A successful business owner should always be able to assess what’s working, recognize when it’s time to pivot, and continuously refine their strategies.

At the end of last year, I took a step back to evaluate where my business stood and where I wanted it to be by the end of 2025. Here are three of my biggest goals:

  1. Gain 150 new followers on Instagram by the end of Q1 and post at least three times a week.
  2. Increase sales through email marketing campaigns.
  3. Network and collaborate with local entrepreneurs and businesses.

Tracking Goals

Once I outlined my three main goals, I needed a system to hold myself accountable. Since I thrive on routines, I knew that integrating my goals into my daily habits would be key to achieving them. I grabbed my iPad and an Annie Sharae notebook (shameless plug!) and broke each goal down into actionable steps for each quarter of the year.

For example, one of my biggest focuses in January was improving my social media engagement and content consistency. To stay on track, I made a small but impactful change—I shifted my social media scrolling time from personal accounts to my business accounts. This simple switch led me to discover a female entrepreneur group in Phoenix, which has helped me make progress on my networking goal as well. This group has been a great source of inspiration and has even contributed to my Instagram growth.

None of these strides would have been possible without the planning I did in December. Taking the time to set clear, actionable goals made all the difference in turning ideas into real progress.

 Final Thoughts

January often carries the weight of “New Year’s resolutions,” which can feel overwhelming if you don’t see immediate progress. But here’s the truth—January is just another month in the year. You can set goals at any time and still achieve incredible results. The key is to start where you are, create a plan, and stay consistent.

If you haven’t set any goals yet, don’t stress! There’s no deadline on self-improvement and business growth. What matters most is taking that first step.

Until next time,

Annie Sharae

 

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